T-Mobile improves '4G' coverage and signal strength in Chicago, SoCal and more

While many T-Mobile customers may be champing at the bit to get their hands on LTE, some might be content just to see faster HSPA+ speeds at all. Which is why we applaud the carrier's latest effort at spreading its "4G" joy to five new metros, notably to large swaths of Chicago and Southern California -- Sacramento, Fresno and Reno make up the rest. The speed boost is just one upgrade; other enhancements include improved signal strength and better coverage inside buildings. Along with earlier expansion efforts, this ratchets up the number of "enhanced networks" to 23 and around 100 million people, according to a blog post from Neville Ray, T-Mobile's CTO. He also promotes the push of unlocked AT&T devices to the land of magenta, which could be a not-so-subtle hint at the future. Check the source to see if your neighborhood made the list of updated areas.